Margot gets an unexpected visit (Stories of Groundhogs, Squirrels, and Chipmunks) Paperback – April 28, 2016

A charming picture book that combines a heartwarming tale of friendship between a groundhog named Margot and two sisters, and amazing facts that feature the wildlife of Quebec. Lowieske and Marie are two sisters native to Belgium who vacation in Quebec. They share their feelings and enjoy adventures together. Margot keeps her own journal. She shares information about her distant relatives, the squirrels. Readers become aware of the many similarities among humans and the groundhog families.I found the tale of Eufrazie, the squirrel hairdresser, particularly amusing. Margot enlightens us with photos of the hairdos Eufrazie creates for all the animals who are cheering for the Canadian women in the World Hockey Game. I won't reveal the winner, but as the sisters get ready to depart for Belgium, they are already looking forward to more adventures with Margot and her animal friends next year.This beautiful book can be used as an introduction to nature for younger children. There is quite a bit of interesting information about the wildlife of Quebec. As such, the book is a good beginning reader that will sustain interest due to the nice blend of fiction and nonfiction. Children can easily empathize with Margot and her wildlife friends. I would particularly recommend it for children in the six to nine age bracket.

My daughters and I enjoyed this book. It is a cute story with real life photographs of a groundhog and the two girls he becomes friends with outside. It has a little educational aspect to it with some fun facts about groundhogs and their habitat. Since Margot has some squirrel friends, there are some fun facts about squirrels too. The diversity in squirrels leads to a little discussion about the diversity in children as well.We would recommend this book to kids around ages 5-8 for some fun and educational reading without realizing they are learning!

What do you get if you combine nature photography, Canadian hockey, and kids? This book, of course. Somehow they all come together well in this story about a groundhog meeting some little girls. The photos are gorgeous and there's even a bird watching section with more vivid images of birds in the wild. Elementary school children will enjoy this unusual look at nature.

This book was a fantastic read, good for the whole family! From its stunning photography to its endearing topic, this is one I will read to my children for years to come! This book shows that being different is not a bad thing! "Margot Gets an Unexpected Visit" I feel is one of those books that every child needs to read. Tangled with the entertainment and beauty of this book is a lesson deep within! Fantastic job Lieve Snellings.The Bodacious Bookworm

Avoid this book if you are not okay with references to "two moms" or " two dads. "This book is definitely geared towards a Canadian audience. Overall, I thought the photos were cute, but the text was too long, with many hard-to-pronounce words. I think US citizens wouldn't get many of the sports team references that were used.

Author Lieve Snellings is a brilliant photographer and author. This story flows well for the age group and I can see children wanting to read it again and again. I giggled at Margot and her friends' props and apparel. The two girls in the story are darling and could be anyone's best friend.I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves learning about nature.

What made the book for me were the various get-ups the woodchuck wore. So many cute ones, I couldn't pick a favorite. Unless... it's the love shaped sunglasses. I learned a woodchuck is related to a squirrel which is related to a chipmunk. The photographs are imaginative and creative designed to entertain as they educate.

A cute story about a groundhog that makes friends with two little girls.Kids will love the photos as they are of real animals.

This is a delightful book with beautiful photographs and a story that children will love. Full of fascinating facts about woodchucks, I like how the author has given the animals some characteristics that children can relate to, such as sports, hairdressing, physical differences, etc. Older children will find it useful for school projects, while younger children will love to look at the pictures and perhaps make up their own stories for Margot.

I read this with my four-year-old daughter Jennifer and we both loved it. I was a bit worried that the book would be a bit too long for her attention span but she was so engrossed with it that she carried on right through to the end. Jennifer loves playing with other children and animals so she found this charming tale about a groundhog's friendship with two sisters hard to resist. The book was also a visual treat and Jennifer loved the vibrant, colourful pictures, especially the wackier ones involving Margot the groundhog. As a parent, I was also pleased to see a strong educational thread run through the book as it teaches children all about different species of rodents and birds. Jennifer especially enjoyed the page that displayed all the birds who had just visited the woodland hairdresser and spent a long time deliberating before picking out her favourite hairdo. This is a book I will be revisiting time and time again as part of Jennifer's bedtime reading. The only disappointment from this superb children's book is that Canada lose the big hockey game to America, as I always enjoy seeing the Yanks getting taken down a peg or two in the sporting arena. Let's hope it's not a case of Groundhog Day and the Canadian women eventually get their revenge on the ice.

This brilliant picture book by Lieve Snellings offer much upfront wisdom on encounters with 'difference'. It normalises 'mobility' as a regular act of life. This book is highly educative with simple yet valuable lessons on perceptions and response to 'difference' and 'diversity' around us. Through the metaphor of Margot, the groundhog, Ms Snellings brilliantly addresses the issue of diversity that is characteristic of both the human race and the citizenry of the modern nation states. This story specifically shows us through the communication between Margot and her friends Marie and Lowieske, that the language of love and understanding is universal. It calls for the opening of our hearts and minds to those around us who are seemingly different, by overcoming the fear of the 'unknown other'. I thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity of her story-telling and recommend the book as a must-read for kids, who can do with a more inclusive imagination.

Young animal lovers will enjoy this sweet story about Margot the groundhog (also, as I’ve now learned, called a woodchuck!) The photographic illustrations are great. In the story, Margot shares interesting details about her life, her relatives, and her love of ice hockey(?!) with 2 young human friends. I’m fairly gullible, but not quite sure the squirrel hairdresser part is real! (The author has an amusing sense of humour, though.)

I enjoyed this simple and unique tale. The photographs and images were cleverly input into the story. I could imagine reading it to a five or six year old and they becoming immersed in the story. I enjoyed it, though I am not five or six and would recommend it to parents whose children love animals.Marie and her sister Lowieske are from Belgium and, like me, did not know what a woodchuck was prior to their meeting with Margot. The images of the groundhog wearing glasses etc were amusing and I think this would appeal to children. I found the text a little hard to read but that is an easy thing to remedy particularly if I am reading the story to young children, who are mostly interested in the images and how I deliver the story.